Coronavirus: Thief steals doctors’ parcels as they tend to patients during lockdown

Police have launched an investigation after two doctors had parcels stolen from their doorstep while they tended to patients during lockdown.

Dr Ben Noble was working as a duty doctor at the Woodbrook Medical Centre in Loughborough when a thief stole four packages from his doorstep in Attenborough, East Midlands, police said.

His wife Hannah, who is also a GP, was working from home at the time, but did not realise what was happening because she was on the phone to a patient who was mentally unwell, Nottinghamshire Police added.

The force has released a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the incident, which happened at around 4.40pm on 4 May.

One of the stolen parcels, which contained a number of drink bottles, was found nearby.

Father-of-two Dr Noble said: It’s incredulous that someone would steal parcels from your doorstep and what’s even more galling is that it happened in broad daylight.

It’s just so bad that someone could do such a thing during these difficult times.

Dr Noble is also a primary care cancer lead for the NHS East Midlands Cancer Alliance and won an award last year for an online tool he created to help spot symptoms early.

Inspector Simon Riley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: This is a despicable theft from two NHS key workers.

It’s appalling to think that during the COVID-19crisis some people are still seeking and taking opportunities to commit crime and cause unnecessary stress on people in what is already a difficult time.

If anyone recognises the man in the CCTV image or has any information, they are asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 734 of 4 May 2020, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.